Planer and reinforcement guide follower arrangement



Nov. 15, 1966 A. LOBBE 3,285,661

PLANER AND REINFORCEMENT GUIDE FOLLOWER ARRANGEMENT Filed-Aug. 20, 1963 INVENTOR HRM L558;

mrom eyg United States Patent 3,285,661 PLANER AND REINFORCEMENT GUIDE FOLLOWER ARRANGEMENT Armin Liibbe, Oberaden Post Kamen, Germany, assignor to 'Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westphalia, Wethmar, near Lunen, Westphalia, Germany Filed Aug. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 303,376 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 30, 1962,

5 Claims. (51. 299-34 The present invention relates to a planer and reinforcement guide follower arrangement, and more particularly to such a planer and guide arrangement adapted to be carried on a longitudinally extending mining conveyor at the side thereof adjacent the mine face, the planer having cutting means of adjustable height thereon and the reinforcement guide follower arrangement being correspondingly adjustable to accommodate variations in height of the planer.

Naturally, in the extraction of minerals, such as coal from a mine face using a planer adapted to be moved longitudinally back and forth with cutting means thereon in extractive engagement with the mine face, it is of primary importance to perform the extraction of the mineral with the pulling forces being exerted as completely as possible onto the cutting means of the planer and in turn against the mine face being worked. In order for this efficient action to be achieved, the friction between the planer and its guiding arrangement must be kept to a minimum. Accordingly, planers have already been proposed which slide on a guiding track which is braced directly adjacent the mine face. Hence, all of the forces serving to guide the planer in extractive engagement with the mine face during the movement of such planer back and forth along its path are transmitted directly against the planer at the lateral frame member of the conveyor or guiding means which is arranged nearest the mine face being worked. Nevertheless, the leverage available is comparatively slight and it is often difiicult to counteract the tilting forces met by the cutting means of the planer in engagement with the mine face which seek to twist or tilt the planer out of engagement with the mine face. In order to counteract such tilting forces, planers are often equipped with a keel or plate extending in a direction away from the mine face and reaching under the conveyor, whereby the tilting forces are transmitted over a comparatively long keel or lever arm to the conveyor and/or to the floor of the seam. Where a keel or lever arm is provided with the planer, however, a very considerable amount of frictional resistance is created, inasmuch as such keel supports the weight of the more or less fully loaded conveyor. In this connection, the conveyor in question is often of the usual double chain scraper conveyor type such as that shown in US. Patents 2,810,565 issued October 22, 1957, and 2,990,168 issued June 27, 1961. Usually the coal or other mineral, extracted by the planer from the mine face is loaded onto the conveyor and hauled therealong by a scraper bar mechanism comprising parallel chains interconnected along their common length by scraper bars for conveying the coal from the site of extraction. As the weight of the conveyor and its contents increase, the friction generated by the keel or lever arm will understandably also increase.

Generally, the overall height of conventional planers is, as a whole, considerably lower than the thickness of the seams of coal or other minerals which are to be extracted thereby. The mine face is usually under cut along the floor portion of the planer and the middle and upper parts of the seam, deprived of support therebelow,

3,285,661 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 usually cave in by themselves whereby the coal or other mineral in these portions is readily recovered.

Even so, planers have been provided which are higher than the aforementioned type but wherein accordingly greater tilting movements necessarily occur due to the larger extent of engagement of the cutting tools with the mine face. Because of the objectionable friction involved in using a keel underlying the conveyor to offset tilting movements of the planer at the mine face, planer constructions have been provided in the manner of a gantry spanning the conveyor. The rear leg of the gantry rests upon the rear frame member of the conveyor on the side thereof remote from the mine face in order to counteract the counter forces against the cutting means of the planer. The height of such a planer gantry arrangement is practically never higher than the working height of the planer itself. As a rule, however, this working height is only a fraction of the thickness or height of the seam, so that the clearance between the top of the conveyor and the planer gantry arrangement is undesirably reduced in order to get the best efficiency for removing the coal from such seam. Unfortunately, however, in practice, using planers of the aforementioned type, it has happened that props for example which have been laid upon the conveyor to be transported along'the shaft or drift, as well as large pieces of mineral, such as coal, which have dropped from the upper parts of the seam become jammed between the conveyor and the gantry spanning the same. As a result, serious interruptions of the mining operation occur, not to mention damage to the conveyor and/ or to the planer device. In view of the foregoing, planers supported on gantry arrangements spanning the conveyor have not achieved widespread practical usage.

With regard to mining operations such as for extracting coal, in which the overhead coal does not fall by itself in the aforedescribed manner, a planer must be used such as that which consists of a pair of separate planer bodies to which the free extremities of a 'shear or scissor arrangement containing pivotally connected cross members can be articulated. The cross members or str-uts form with the two separate planer bodies an arrangement permitting the cross members to be raised to various heights in order that cutting tools on the cross members may be used for extracting the coal from the middle and upper portions of the seam. Such a planer arrangement automatically adjusts itself to the varying thickness of the seam considered in vertical direction, by using a compression spring connecting the corresponding ends of the cross members and/or the planer bodies so as to resist displacement to some extent. Consequently, this type of planer arrangement can reach substantially greater heights than the normal planer arrangement. Actually, the cross members may form the apex of a triangle with the two base members in spaced apart inter-connected disposition forming the base of such triangle, whereupon such apex will vary in height in dependence upon the linear distance between the two base means.

With such a triangular planer arrangement, of course, the tilting moment is correspondingly greater than with planer devices of normal height. If the tilting moment is not excessive, that is, if the thickness of the seam is comparatively slight, a keel or lever arm underlying the conveyor will suffice, as a rule, to counteract the tilting forces. A different situation, nevertheless, is present where a greater seam thickness is involved or where a keel cannot be used because of its excessive frictional drag under the particular conditions encountered or because of the adverse shape or unevenness of the seam floor. Of course, since the height constantly varies, the planer itself cannot be of the gantry type.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing drawbacks and to provide a planer and reinforcement guide follower arrangement of the gantry type which is able to accommodate a planer of varying height to prevent the tilting of the planer which would otherwise occur during extractive engagement of the cutting means thereof with the mine face.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the within specification and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a planer and reinforcement guide follower arrangement of the present invention, including a planer capable of varying in height and a follower support of the gantry type,

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevational view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 looking at the construction from the direction of the mine face to be worked,

FIG. 3 is a schematic elevational view of the reinforcement guide follower or gantry of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic side and front elevational views, respectively, of an alternate embodiment of a reinforcement guide follower or gantry for the variable height planer shown in FIG. 1.

It has now been found in accordance with the present invention that a planer and reinforcement guide follower arrangement may be provided which is efiicient in operation and durable in use, yet which avoids the abovedescribed draw-backs. The arrangement comprises a planer device including a pair of spaced apart resiliently interconnected planer base means and a corresponding pair of planer strut members, each strut member being pivotally connected to a respective base means at one end and pivotally connected to the other strut member at the other end whereby to form an upstanding triangular planer variable in height in dependence upon the longitudinal displacement of the resiliently interconnected base means with respect to each other. The planer is mounted at one side of a longitudinally extending conveyor adapted to be placed adjacent a mine face for the removal of mineral extracted by the planer. Furthermore, the arrangement includes a pair of forward arm members and reduced friction rearward support means together'forming a gantry spanning the conveyor, the forward arm members being linkably connected at their lower ends to the base means respectively and being in displaceable abutment with the strut members at the upper ends of the arm members respectively, as Well as with the rearward support means riding along the opposite side of the conveyor in reduced friction contact therewith. Hence, the gantry laterally supports and reinforces the triangular planer in any' position of variable height thereof to prevent transverse displacement of the planer with respect to the longitudinal direction of travel thereof, as for example, might be caused by excessive forces met by the planer at the mine face.

The base means are preferably resiliently interconnected by compression spring-connected telescoping means and the reduced friction rearward support means preferably include roller means such as wheels in contact with said opposite side of the conveyor to permit the rearward support means to ride therealong with minimized friction. A resiliently mounted press bar means is advantageously provided at the upper ends of the forward arm members for displaceable abutting contact with the strut members in any position of variable height thereof. The foregoing construction represents an improvement in a mining arrangement including a triangular planer of variable height as noted above, such improvement comprising the particular gantry structure noted in arrangement with the conveyor as well as with the planer for achieving the desired reinforcement of the planer in any position of variable height thereof.

In accordance with one particular embodiment of the present invention, the planer and reinforcement guide arrangement includes a pair of spaced apart planer base means each having cutting means thereon for extracting mineral from the lower portion of the mine face, a pair of resiliently interconnecting telescoping members, one of said telescoping members being pivotally connected to one of said base means and the other of said telescoping members being pivotally connected to the other of said base means, said resiliently interconnected telescoping members having a predetermined compression interconnecting force and being longitudinally displaceable with respect to one another against the predetermined compressive force of the resilient interconnection, a corresponding pair of planer strut members each having cutting means therealong for extracting mineral from the upper portion of the mine face, one of said strut members being pivotally connected at one end to said one base means and the other of said strut members being pivotally connected at a corresponding end to said other base means, the two strut members being pivotally interconnected at their remaining ends to provide an apex therebetween, roof cutting means being linkably connected to said strut members at said apex for extracting mineral from the mine roof, whereby said strut members form with said base means and said interconnected telescoping members an upstanding triangular planer variable in height in dependence upon the longitudinal displacement of the interconnected telescoping members and in turn the base means with respect to each other. Moreover, the arrangement includes a longitudinally extending conveyor adapted to be placed adjacent a mine face so that the base means can be mounted thereon at the side thereof adjacent the mine face, as well as a pair of downwardly diverging forward arm members inter-connected at their upper end portions, a reduced friction rearward support means having roller means at its lower end portion, said rearward support means being connected with said forward arm members at their upper end portions and together therewith forming a gantry transversely spanning said conveyor, each forward arm member having a longitudinally extending slot at the lower end portion thereof, each base means having a pin means thereon, each of the forward arm members being linkably connected to a corresponding one of the base means with a corresponding pin means displaceably slidably retained in a corresponding one of said slots during any position of movement of the base means with respect to one another, and press bar means, the press bar means being resiliently mounted on the gantry at the upper end portion of the forward arm members adjacent the strut members for displaceable abutment with such strut members. The rearward support means in this embodiment are positioned for riding on the roller means, such as Wheels along the opposite side of the conveyor from the side at which the base means are mounted, whereby by means of the linkable connection between the pin means and the slots and by means of the press bar means adjacent the strut members as well as by means of the rearward support means riding along the conveyor, the gantry transversely supports and reinforces the triangular planer in any position of longitudinal displacement of the interconnected telescoping members and in turn the base means, and in any corresponding position of variable height of the strut members to prevent transverse displacement of the planer with respect to the longitudinal direction of travel thereof as for example where excessive forces are met by the cutting means at the mine face.

In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention, the gantry takes the form of a pair of U-shaped members each having a forward leg and a reduced friction rearward leg interconnected at their corresponding upper end portions by a transverse intermediate brace, the corresponding forward legs of the U-shaped members being pivotally interconnected intermediate their ends and the corresponding rearward legs of the U-shaped members being pivotally interconnected intermediate their ends with the forward and rearward legs having the same transverse axis of pivot so as together to form the gantry transversely spanning the conveyor. In this alternate embodiment, each of the forward legs has a pin means at the upper end portion thereof and each of the rearward legs has roller means at the lower end portion thereof, such as wheels, each of the forward legs being pivotally connected to one of the base means. The press bar means in accordance with this embodiment contains a pair of longitudinally extending slot means such that the press bar means is resiliently and linkably mounted on the gantry with a corresponding pin means at the upper end portion of each forward leg displaceably slidably retained in a corresponding one of the slots during any position of longitudinal displacement of the base means with respect to one another and in turn pivotal displacement of the U-shaped members connected thereto by the forward legs. In this way, the press bar means is positioned adjacent the strut members for displ aceable abutment therewith. The rearward legs, of course, are positioned for riding on the roller means along the opposite side of the conveyor from the side at which the base means are mounted, whereby by means of the pivotal connections between the forward legs and the base means and by means of the press bar means adjacent the strut means as well as by means of the rearward legs riding along the conveyer, the gantry transversely supports and reinforces the triangular planer in any position of longitudinal displacement of the interconnected telescoping members and in turn the base means and in any corresponding position of variable height of the st-rut members to prevent transverse displacement of the planer with respect to the longitudinal direction of travel thereof as might be due to excessive forces met by the cutting means at the mine face.

Referring to the drawing, in FIG. 1 a conveyor of the conventional type is shown having the lateral side walls 11 and 12 extending longitudinally adjacent the mine face and the center plate 13 serving as conveyor path for moving extracted mineral from the site of mining operations. A guide tube 14 it attached to the conveyor side wall 12 which extends along the length of the conveyor in order to permit the planer 15 to be mounted thereon at the grooves 30 located in the rearward sides of the base means 16 and 17 (see FIG. 2), i.e. the sides of such base means remote from the mine face.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the planer and reinforcement guide arrangement in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is shown, each of the spaced apart base means 16 and 17 being provided with suitable cutting tools 18 thereon for engaging the lower portion of the mine face. Base means 16 and 17 are interconnected by the telescoping arrangement including cylinder 19 and rod or tube 20, with a compression spring 21 being interposed operatively between the appropriate portions of the telescoping parts. The compression spring 21 generally has a predetermined force tending to keep cylinder 19 and rod in close telescopic arrangement in spite of the operational forces being exerted upon the respective base means by the driving cable means propelling the same along the mine face and by the counter forces exerted by the mine face against the cutting tools 18. The strut members 22 and 23 are pivotally connected at their lower ends 26 between the cars on the base means by bolts 24, the strut means being pivotally interconnected at their upper ends by bolt 27. A rocking roof cutter 28 is limitedly linkably connected to bolt 27 to permit the same to operate against the mine roof at varying heights of the strut members. Besides the roof cutter 28, the strut members 22 and 23 are provided with suitable cutting tools 29 in the same manner as base means 16 and 17 are provided with cutting tools 18. Thus, as may be appreciated from FIG. 1, as the planer 15 is guided along the mine face, the various cutting tools Will engage the mineral to be extracted, such as coal, along the entire height of the device with efiiciency.

This is especially true because of the reinforcement guide follower arrangement for .gantry 31 attached therewith (see FIG. 3). Gantry 31 includes the forward arms 32, the upper portion 33 spanning the conveyor 10 and the reduced friction rearward support means 34 containing the wheels 36 riding on the top of conveyor side wall 11. The forward arms are provided with horizontal slots 35 whereby arms 32 are respectively connected linkably with base means 16 and 17 by means of said bolts 24.

Accordingly, bolts 24 represent the pivot points not only for the strut members at the base means but also the linkable connections for the gantry 31. At the upper portion 33 of gantry 31, a press bar 37 is provided which is resiliently attached to-the gantry by means of springs 38 received in recesses 39 along the upper portion 33.

Thus, the tilting forces exerted against the planer during extractive engagement with the mine face are suitably accommodated by the gantry arrangement, inasmuch as gantry 31 cannot be rearwardly displaced due to its connections with the base means 16 and 17 via bolts 24, which base means in turn are slida-bly mounted at grooves 30 on guide tube 14 of conveyor 10, it being assumed that conveyor 10 is suitably reinforced against transverse displacement away from the mine face. This may be achieved, for example, by the use of urging means, such as piston cylinder means (not shown) of the type disclosed in the aforesaid US. Patent 2,990,168, such urging means being positioned against conveyor wall 11 to urge the conveyor under a constant force toward the mine face. Moreover, the press bar 37 will resiliently prevent the stnut members 22 and 23 from tilting and the resilient force of the press bar is backed up by the upper portion 33 and the reduced friction rear ward support means 34 solidly resting on wheels 36 against the upper edge of conveyor side wall 11. By reason of the horizontal slots 35 in the forward arms 32 of the gantry 31, the gantry can readily follow the planer 15 during its movement along the mine face in any position of varying height of the strut members 22 and 23. Any forces tending to extend the telescoping means 19 and20 and in turn longitudinally displace the base means 16 and 17 will be suitably counteracted by the compression spring 21 operatively connecting cylinder 19 and rod 20. Of course, as excessive roof forces are encoun-' tered by cutter 28, the strut members will tend to move downwardly and outwardly, in turn moving base means 16 and 17 farther apart against the action of spring 21. As these excessive roof forces are passed, the arrangement will assume its former height.

Of course, if desired, the spacing of the telescoping parts 19 and 20 may be adjusted so as to achieve any particular fixed telescoping disposition therebetween, whereby base means 16 and 17 will be kept at a fixed linear distance apart. Accordingly, the strut members 22 and 23 will remain at the precise apex angle corresponding thereto, until the telescoping means 19 and 20 are changed in arrangement so as to change the angle formed between the strut members 22 and 23. In any position of movement in height or angular disposition of strut members 22 and 23, it will be realized that the press bar 37 is always in position for reinforcing abutment to counteract any tilting forces occurring at the mine face.

With respect to FIGS. 4 and 5, a pair of U-shaped members is provided, these members being pivotally infer-connected in the manner of a collapsible stool or camp chair with the corresponding forward legs 41 and 44 being connected respectively with the rearward legs 43 and 46 by means of the respective transverse intermediate braces 42 and 45. The two U-shaped members are pivotally interconnected along the same transverse axis of pivot, with front legs 41 and 44 being pivoted with one bolt 40a and with rearward legs 43 and 4 6 being pivoted with another bolt 40a. The lower free ends of front legs 41 and 44 are provided correspondingly with openings 47 and 48 for suitable attachment with base means 16 and 17 via bolts 24 (see FIG. 1). The rearward legs 43 and 46 are each provided with rolling means such as wheels 49 for riding along the conveyer side wall 11 in the same manner as the gantry embodiment of 'FIG. 1. The press bar 50 is resiliently mounted by means of slots 51 provided therein on the upper ends of theU-shaped members with corresponding pins 52 extending from such U-shaped members into the slots 51. Springs 53 disposed in recesses 54 in the upper portions of the U-shaped members outwardly extend around the pins 52 and engage the rear side of press bar 50 at their outer ends.

Thus, in the same way as the gantry arrangement of FIGS. 1-3, the U-shaped gantry arrangement of FIGS. 4 and permit the gantry to change in height by pivoting about the transverse axis of pivot at the bolts 40411 as the lower portions of the front legs diverge or converge in consequence of the linear displacement between the base means 16 and 17 to which such front legs are correspondingly connected. As such U-shaped members pivot with respect to one another, the pins 52 will slide along the slots 51 of the press bar 50, raising the press bar accordingly, yet maintaining complete support thereof and in turn reinforcement of the strut members 23 and 22 abuttingly engaging the front side of such press means.

It will be seen that in the case of both embodiments illustrated, the gantry does not interfere with the normal changes in the distance between the base means 16 and 17 and the accompanying changes in the disposition of the strut members 22 and 23. The height of the gantry may obviously be made to accommodate the particular height of the strut means of the planer device, whereby to attain as great as possible a counteracting of the tilting moment caused by the counter forces of the mine face against the moving planer. Furthermore, it will be seen that the instant construction provides sufficient clearance between the gantry and planer arrangement on the one hand and the conveyer so as to avoid any jamming of the planer and/ or gantry which might be caused by extracted mineral or other articles situated on the conveyer and extending upwardly beyond the upper level of such conveyer. Naturally, the height of the gantry or supporting frame for the planer should never be higher than the minimum thickness of the seam which is to be mined with the planer. This is especially true with the embodiment of FIGS. 13 above, inasmuch as the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 can accommodate itself automatically to changes in the height of the planer device.

By resiliently mounting the press bar on the appropriate gantry, it will be realized that binding of the abutting parts will be prevented even where excessive tilting forces are encountered by the strut members and in turn transmitted to the press bar and gantry.

The particular advantage of a triangular planer device such as that contemplated herein is that the planer height will be automatically adapted to the height of the seam being cut,inasmuch as the roof cutter will transmit the overhead forces to the strut members, which, in turn, will force the base means farther apart against the urgence of the compression spring means, whereby the base of the triangle will change and accordingly also its height.

It will be appreciated that the gantry arrangement of the present invention is removably mountable on the conveyer and removably attachable to the planer device, so that the same need only be used where the planer device encounters excessive tilting forces. This is especially true where the hardness of the coal being extracted increases.

It is most significant that although the gantry, especially adjacent the press bar, is available for reinforcing the strut members against tilting forces, the presence of the gantry and more especially of the press bar, in each of the embodiments, does not impair the normal operation of the planer, even where the strut members vary in height during the forward and backward movement of the planer along the mine face.

What is claimed is:

1. Planer and reinforcement guide arrangement which comprises a pair of spaced apart resiliently interconnected planer base means, a corresponding pair of planer strut members, each strut member being pivotally connected to a respective base means at one end and pivotally connected to the other strut member at the other end whereby to form an upstanding triangular planer variable in height in dependence upon the longitudinal displacement of said resiliently interconnected base means with respect to each other, a longitudinally extending conveyor adapted to be placed adjacent a mine face for the removal of mineral extracted by said planer, said planer being mounted slidably on one side of the conveyor for longitudinal movement thereon back and forth along the mine face with said strut members extending upwardly substantially beyond the upper portion of said conveyor, 21 pair of forward arm members and reduced friction rearward support means together forming a gantry spanning such conveyor, said forward arm members being linkably connected at their lower ends to such base means respectively and being in displaceable abutment with such strut members at the upper ends of said arm members respectively and with said rearward support means riding along the opposite side of said conveyor in reduced friction contact therewith, whereby said gantry laterally supports and reinforces such triangular planer in any position of variable height thereof to prevent transverse displacement of said planer with respect to the longitudinal direction of travel thereof.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said base means are resiliently interconnected by compression spring connected telescoping means, said reduced friction rearward support means including roller means in contact with said opposite side of said conveyor to permit said rearward support means to ride therealong with minimized friction, and a resiliently mounted press bar means being provided at the upper ends of said arm members for displaceable abutting contact with said strut members in any position of variable height thereof.

3. Planer and reinforcement guide arrangement which comprises a pair of spaced apart planer base means each having cutting means thereon for extracting mineral from the lower portion of the mine face, a pair of resiliently interconnected telescoping members, one of said telescoping members being pivotably connected to one of said base means and the other of said telescoping members being pivotally connected to the other of said base means, said resiliently interconnected telescoping members having a predetermined compression interconnecting force and being longitudinally displaceable with respect to one another against the predetermined compressive force of the resilient interconnection, a corresponding pair of planer strut members each having cutting means therealong for extracting mineral from the upper portion of the mine face, one of said strut members being pivotally connected at one end to said one base means and the other of said strut members being pivotably connected at a corresponding end to said other base means, the two strut members being pivotably interconnected at their remaining ends to provide an apex therebetween. roof cutting means being linkablv 9 connected to said strut members at said apex for extracting mineral from the mine roof whereby said strut members form with said base means and said interconnected telescoping members an upstanding triangular planer variable in height in dependence upon the longitudinal displacement of said interconnected telescoping members and in turn said base means with respect to each other, a longitudinally extending conveyor adapted to be placed adjacent a mine face for the removal of mineral extracted by the cutting means of said planer, said base means being mounted slidably on one side of the conveyor for longitudinal movement thereon back and forth along the mine face, a pair of downwardly diverging forward arm members interconnected at their upper end portions, a reduced friction rearward support means having roller means at its lower end portion, said rear ward support means being connected with said forward arm members at their upper end portions and together therewith forming a gantry transversely spanning said conveyor, each said forward arm member having a longitudinally extending slot at the lower end portion thereof, each said base means having a pin means thereon, each of said forward arm members being linkably connected to a corresponding one of said base means with a corresponding pin means displaceably slidably retained in a corresponding one of said slots during any position of movement of said base means with respect to one another, and press bar means, said press bar means being resiliently mounted on said gantry at the upper end portions of said forward arm members adjacent said strut members for displaceable abutment with said strut members, said rearward support means being positioned for riding on said roller means along the opposite side of said conveyor from the side at which said base means are mounted, whereby by means of the linkable connection between said pin means and said slots and by means of said press bar means adjacent said strut members as well as by means of said rearward support means riding along said conveyor said gantry transversely supports and reinforces said triangular planer in any position of longitudinal displacement of said interconnected telescoping members and in turn said base means and in any corresponding position of variable height of said strut members to prevent transverse displacement of said planer with respect to the longitudinal direction of travel thereof due to excessive forces met by the cutting means at the mine face.

4. Planer and reinforcement guide arrangement which comprises a pair of spaced apart planer base means each having cutting means thereon for extracting mineral from the lower portion of the mine face, a pair of resiliently interconnected telescoping members, one of said telescoping members being pivotably connected to one of said base means and the other of said telescoping members being pivotally connected to the other of said base means, said resiliently interconnected telescoping members having a predetermined compression interconnecting force and being longitudinally displaceable with respect to one another against the predetermined compressive force of the resilient interconnection, a corresponding pair of planer strut members each having cutting means therealong for extracting mineral from the upper portion of the mine face, one of said strut members being pivotally connected at one end to said one base means and the other of said strut members being pivotably connected at a corresponding end to said other base means, the two strut members being pivotably interconnected at their remaining ends to provide an apex therebetween, roof cutting means being linkably connected to said strut members at said apex for extracting mineral from the mine roof whereby said strut members form with said base means and said interconnected telescoping members an upstanding triangular planer variable in height in dependence upon the longitudinal displacement of said interconnected telescoping members and in turn said base means with respect to each other, a longitudinally extending con-veyor adapted to be placed adjacent a mine face for the removal of mineral extracted by the cutting means of said planer, said base means being mounted slidably on one side of the conveyor for longitudinal movement thereon back and forth along the mine face, a pair of U-shaped members each having a forward leg and a reduced friction rearward leg interconnected at their corresponding upper end portions by a transverse intermediate brace, the corresponding forward legs of said U-shaped members being pivotably interconnected intermediate their ends and the corresponding rearward legs of said U-shaped members being pivotably interconnected intermediate their ends with said forward and rearward legs having the same transverse axis of pivot and together forming a gantry transversely spanning said conveyor, each of said forward legs having a pin means at the upper end portion thereof and each of said rearward legs having roller means at the lower end portion thereof, each of said forward legs being pivotably connected to a corresponding one of said base means, and press bar means, said press bar means having a pair of longitudinally extending slot means and being resiliently and linkably mounted on said gantry with a corresponding pin means at the upper end portion of each said forward leg displaceably slidably retained in a corresponding one of said slots during any position of longitudinal displacement of said base means with respect to one another and in turn pivotal displacement of said U-shaped members connected thereto by said forward legs such that said press bar means is positioned adjacent said strut members for displaceable abutment with said strut members, said rearward legs being positioned for riding on said roller means along the opposite side of said conveyor from the side at which said base means are mounted, whereby by means of the pivotal connections between said forward legs and said base means and by means of said press bar means adjacent said strut members as well as by means of said rearward legs riding along said conveyor said gantry transversely supports and reinforces said triangular planer in any position of longitudinal displacement of said interconnected telescoping members and in turn said base means and in any corresponding position of variable height of said strut members to prevent transverse displacement of said planer with respect to the longitudinal direction of travel thereof due to excessive forces met by the cutting means at the mine face.

5. 'In a mining arrangement including a pair of spaced apart resiliently interconnected planer base means, a corresponding pair of planer strut members, each strut member being pivotably connected to a respective base means at one end and pivotally connected to the other strut member at the other end whereby to form an upstanding triangular planer variable in height in dependence upon the longitudinal displacement of said resiliently interconnected base means with respect to each other, a longitudinally extending conveyor adapted to be placed adjacent a mine face for the removal of mineral extracted 'by said planer, said planer being mounted slidably on one side of the conveyor for longitudinal movement thereon back and forth along the mine face with said strut members extending upwardly substantially beyond the upper portion of said conveyor, the improvement which comprises a pair of forward arm members and reduced friction rearward support means together forming a gantry spanning such conveyor, said forward arm members being linkably connected at their lower ends to such base means respectively and being in displaceable abutment with such strut members at the upper ends of said arm members respectively and with said rearward support means riding along the opposite side of said conveyor in reduced friction contact therewith, whereby said gantry laterally supports and reinforces such triangular planer in any position of variable height thereof 11 12 to prevent transverse displacement of said planer with FOREIGN PATENTS respect to the longitudinal direction of travel thereof. 542,737 6/1957 Canada 1,226,189 7/1960 France.

References Clted by the Examiner 811,105 8/1951 csrmanyl UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 073 581 1/19 3 Lobbe 2 99 34 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examier.

3,178,229 4/1965 Lobbe 29934 

1. PLANER AND REINFORCEMENT GUIDE ARRANGEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A PAIR OF SPACED APART RESILIENTLY INTERCONNECTED PLANER BASE MEANS, A CORRESPONDING PAIR OF PLANER STRUT MEMBERS, EACH STRUT MEMBER BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO A RESPECTIVE BASE MEANS AT ONE END AND PIVOALLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER STRUT MEMBER AT THE OTHER END WHEREBY TO FORM AN UPSTANDING TRIANGULAR PLANER VARIABLE IN HEIGHT IN DEPDENDENCE UPON THE LONGITUDINAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID RESILIENTLY INTERCONNECTED BASE MEANS WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ADJACENT A MINE FACE FOR THE REMOVAL OF MINERAL EXTRACTED BY SAID PLANAR, SAID PLANER BEING MOUNTED SLIDABLY ON ONE SIDE OF THE CONVEYOR FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THEREON BACK AND FORTH ALONG THE MINE FACE WITH SAID STRUT MEMBERS EXTENDING UPWARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID CONVEYOR, A PAIR OF FORWARD ARM MEMBERS AND REDUCED FRICTION REARWARD SUPPORT MEANS TOGETHER FORMING A GANTRY SPANNING SUCH CONVEYOR, SAID FORWARD ARM MEMBERS BEING LINKABLY CONNECTED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS TO SUCH BASE MEANS RESPECTIVELY AND BEING IN DISPLACEABLE ABUTMENT WITH SAID STRUT MEMBERS AT THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID ARM MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY AND WITH SAID REARWARD SUPPORT MEANS RIDING ALONG THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR IN REDUCED FRICTION CONTACT THEREWITH, WHEREBY SAID GANTRY LATERALLY SUPPORTS AND REINFORCES SUCH TRIANGULAR PLANAR IN ANY POSITION OF VARIABLE HEIGHT THEREOF TO PREVENT TRANSVERSE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID PLANER WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF TRAVEL THEREOF. 